IISc develops glowing sensor for liver cancer detection
Scientists at IISc have come up with a simple paper sensor that can help catch liver cancer and some other diseases early.
It works by lighting up bright green under UV light if it finds b-glucuronidase, an enzyme linked to these conditions.
How the sensor works
The team embedded terbium (a rare earth metal) and special chemicals into tiny paper disks.
When the target enzyme is present, it triggers a chain reaction that makes the disk glow brighter—the more enzyme, the stronger the glow.
You just need a UV lamp and free software to check the results.
Could transform testing in low-resource settings
This sensor can pick up super-low levels of the enzyme—way below what's usually needed for diagnosis—and doesn't require fancy lab gear.
It could be a game-changer for quick, affordable testing in places that don't have high-tech labs.
Plus, it might help detect not just liver cancer but also jaundice or drug toxicity where this enzyme spikes.